A PhD alongside a job is a separate route with its own rules. Anyone planning one needs a realistic schedule, an agreement with the employer and a clear view of annual leave. For scale, Destatis reports around 216,200 people pursuing a doctorate in Germany in 2025.
Short answer: A PhD alongside a job can be planned by weekly hours and duration. At 10 hours a week over three years, the total is about 1,560 hours (assumption). The statutory minimum leave is 24 working days a year under section 3 of the Federal Leave Act (BUrlG). Whether the employer must consent depends on your contract. Last updated: October 2026.
Key facts at a glance
- A PhD alongside a job can be estimated from weekly hours and duration.
- At 10 hours a week over three years, the total is about 1,560 hours (assumption, 52 weeks a year).
- The statutory minimum leave is 24 working days a year, which means 20 days on a five-day week.
- Whether consent is needed depends on the employment contract, collective agreement or works agreement.
- A scholarship from the Hans-Böckler-Stiftung excludes part-time work and side jobs.
How many hours does a PhD alongside a job take?
The arithmetic is simple. Anyone who invests a few hours each week reaches a fixed total over the duration. The table assumes three years (36 months), the standard funding period of the Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, and 52 weeks a year.
| Weekly hours on the PhD | Hours over 36 months (assumption) |
|---|---|
| 5 hours | 780 hours |
| 10 hours | 1,560 hours |
| 15 hours | 2,340 hours |
| 20 hours | 3,120 hours |
Assumption: 52 weeks a year and 36 months. Actual duration depends on your subject, data and supervision, so build in a buffer. The Hans-Böckler-Stiftung uses its standard period as a guide, not a guarantee.
How do you build a schedule that holds?
A schedule often fails in everyday life rather than in the arithmetic. These steps help you sustain a PhD alongside work:
- Set your weekly hours realistically rather than optimistically, and calculate the total as in the table.
- Divide the work into phases such as reading, data collection, analysis and writing.
- Block fixed slots in your calendar, for example two evenings and one weekend morning, and treat them like work appointments.
- Agree milestones with your supervisor and review them regularly.
Short, fixed sessions usually carry you further than large blocks that keep getting moved. Also plan buffer time for illness or busy periods at work.
How much leave do you have?
The statutory minimum leave is at least 24 working days a year. Working days are all calendar days except Sundays and public holidays, so Saturdays count. On a five-day week, this equals 20 working days, or four weeks. Your contract may grant more, and the statutory figure is the floor.
| Rule | Content | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum leave | At least 24 working days a year | Section 3(1) BUrlG |
| Waiting period | The full entitlement arises for the first time after six months of employment | Section 4 BUrlG |
| Partial leave | One twelfth of annual leave for each full month, under the conditions of the provision | Section 5(1) BUrlG |
Whether you may take leave for writing phases, colloquia or conferences is decided by your employer within leave law. The Federal Leave Act does not provide a separate right to time off for a doctorate. Educational leave is regulated by the German states, so check the law of your Land.
Plan for the double load as well. A doctorate alongside work demands stamina, and anyone who schedules every free hour quickly loses the recovery both roles need. A fixed free day each week is therefore part of the plan, not a luxury.
What changes with the employer?
Whether you must notify or obtain consent for the doctorate depends on your employment contract and, where applicable, on a collective agreement or works agreement. The topic is important enough that we treat it separately. Also watch your working hours and any link between your doctorate and your employer’s business, since research close to your employer’s field can raise questions about confidentiality.
When does this combination not work?
A scholarship from the Hans-Böckler-Stiftung does not fit if you want to work in parallel. The foundation excludes combinations with side jobs and part-time employment. A doctoral position at a university is then often the better route, if it suits your subject. Our article on a doctoral position and a scholarship (in German) compares the figures.
A position in which the doctorate is part of the contract follows different rules from a doctorate next to an unrelated job. Keep this in mind from the start, even though both routes lead to the doctoral title.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a PhD alongside a job take?
The law does not set a fixed duration. This guide uses the three-year standard period stated by the Hans-Böckler-Stiftung as its calculation basis. Whether your PhD fits into that time depends on your subject, data and supervision.
How much time should I plan each day?
At 10 hours a week, this means roughly two hours on five days. Fixed appointments you can keep for months matter more than the daily amount. A short daily session often keeps the thread better than one big block every two weeks.
Do I have to take holiday for the PhD?
You decide with your employer whether and how much leave you use. The Federal Leave Act does not give a separate right to time off for a doctorate. Planned dates such as colloquia can usually be agreed early.
Do I get full leave straight after changing jobs?
Under section 4 BUrlG, the full entitlement arises for the first time after six months of employment. In the first months you may therefore only have part of it, depending on the individual case. Check when your new contract starts before you plan writing phases.
Next steps
- Calculate your hours with the worked example and set a realistic weekly figure.
- Read your employment contract before you speak with your employer.
- Plan leave days for colloquia and submission deadlines early.
- Agree milestones with your supervisor and review them regularly.
Related articles
- PhD Funding: Position, Scholarship or Own Savings
- PhD in Germany: routes, titles and requirements
- Doctoral position or scholarship
- Doctoral salary under TV-L E 13
Sources: Federal Leave Act, section 3 (gesetze-im-internet.de, checked October 2026); Federal Leave Act, section 4 (gesetze-im-internet.de, checked October 2026); Destatis, press release on doctoral students 2025 (26 August 2026); Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, PhD funding (checked October 2026).
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
